ShelterBox celebrates 25 years of emergency shelter
PICTURED: Nepal earthquake, 2015: ShelterBox supported tens of thousands of people with shelter aid, including shelter kits, emergency dome tents and corrugated iron sheets, after the devastating earthquake that shook Nepal’s mountain villages in 2015. Rotary and Rotaract members provided damage reports and made crucial introductions to local government officials and local communities. ShelterBox had responded to previous floods in Nepal in 2007, 2008 and 2014 – all with the assistance of the Rotaract Club of Kathmandu and other Rotary members on the ground.
This year marks 25 years of ShelterBox – powered by the transformational impact of Rotary members worldwide.
The partnership between ShelterBox and Rotary has never been more important. Right now, more than 120 million people worldwide have been forced from their homes by disasters, conflict and climate change – and that number is growing
every day.
Built 25 years ago from the hard work and passion of a handful of Rotarians, ShelterBox is a global community working to see no one without shelter after disaster. It all started with an idea from one small Rotary club. The Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard in Cornwall, UK, set up a millennium project with the goal of reaching a few dozen families a year. Endless hours of volunteering by dedicated Rotary members, giving their time and packing boxes of aid that were sent all over the world, made it possible – gathering the momentum needed to get to where ShelterBox is today.
PICTURED: Türkiye earthquakes, 2023: The ShelterBox/Rotary partnership was key to being able to respond to the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye. Rotary partners worked with ShelterBox teams on all levels of the response, most notably in the crucial liaison with local authorities and the distribution of UN Ridge style tents and other essential items to affected households. Most aid items were procured within Türkiye, and others were shipped in from our pre-positioned stock.
It’s hard to put into words what a difference this collaboration has made. Thanks to the partnership between ShelterBox and Rotary, more than three million people worldwide have rebuilt their lives after disasters destroyed
their homes.
For 25 years, Rotary members around the w orld have supported ShelterBox in an incredible variety of ways. They are there with ShelterBox after disasters, helping us fundraise, liaise with local communities and authorities, share contacts and knowledge, as well as working alongside our teams at distributions of emergency shelter aid where they can.
PICTURED: Morocco earthquake, 2023: Following the earthquake that struck Morocco in 2023, ShelterBox worked with Rotary as part of a three-part arrangement with The Grand Atlas Foundation, a local well-connected NGO that Rotary partners had introduced ShelterBox to. Working with local communities and Rotary volunteers, ShelterBox emergency dome tents were distributed, along with solar lights, blankets and kitchen sets, to people affected by the earthquake in some of the most remote villages in the Atlas Mountains.
“I first volunteered with ShelterBox back in 2006 as a member of the Response Team,” said ShelterBox Australia CEO Mike Greenslade.
“From my first deployment to Papua New Guinea to my most recent to Morocco, Rotary has played an essential role in getting aid to where it is most needed. As a Rotarian, I’m proud of the enduring partnership between ShelterBox and Rotary and hope that it continues for many years to come.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the Rotary clubs in Australia and New Zealand and the many individual Rotarians who have supported us over the years. With the current cuts to international aid funding, our work is more important than ever.”
To learn more about ShelterBox, visit www.shelterboxaustralia.org.au or contact ShelterBox Australia CEO Mike Greenslade via mike.greenslade@shelterbox.org.au
